Working Together

'Working Togather' by ArmadaVolya

Items from members of teams who work together to help one another

Original Abstract Drawing wi... hypnoteyezed $17.00	Cottage Fancy - Fabric Cover... veryprettythin... $14.00
Crocheted Extra Long Fire En... StitchKnit $17.00	Customizable Reversible Hemp... ZimikasTreasur... $3.00
Strawberry Fields - Locket N... LoveMontreal $22.00	Blue Crystal Earrings DazzlingAdornm... $12.00
Balance Good & Evil 6x6 Prin... ddfoto $28.00	Blackberry Pepper Jam - Like... dasweetzpot $7.95
Your Custom Monster Portrait... UnnervingNight... $80.00	Beach and the Palm Tree. 9x1... ArmadaVolya $150.00
Margarita Shower Invitation LJLDESIGNSSTAT... $25.00	green and cream striped slee... Faerieladyclot... $100.00
Purple Butterflies klmram $5.00	Vintage Recycled Ice Cream R... adnagam $10.00
Black and White Flocked Clut... sewnanacreatio... $26.00	Personalized Wine 8x10 Inch ... nameyourwishim... $34.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio. 

These are items from some of the members of etsy teams dedicated to working together. I hope you'll like these beautiful choices.

Ecem Duman from Pilumunus and Handmade Jewelry

Every now and again I run into incredible items on etsy and get shocked at the price. These accessories in Pilumunus shop are a good example of it. They are so cheap, it's hard not to buy them. The shipping is cheap as well btw even though this seller is from Turkey. I can only look at this necklace and think how many long hours it took to create something this beautiful. I have worked with beads myself and know how long is takes to create even a fraction of something like this. What is even more surprising is that she hasn't sold anything yet. It's sad really, but at this price, I don't see why people aren't grabbing these necklaces left and right. I mean, honestly, $25 for something like this? Ok, with shipping it's $30, still, it's nothing.

I really enjoy these items and can only imagine what other goodies she can make. I personally would like to see some bridal items from her, I think she'd be able to make some good once.

Sooooo... yeah, give her a chance guys, I think she is great and deserves a sale or two.

Top hats From Mad Little Hatter

Do you want to get the party started? These little hats from Mad Little Hatter are absolutely perfect for the costume parties. There are many fun styles that would fit just about any outfit and they are so adorable. To put it in the crazy cat lady's words, I want to have them all, with a cute little tops, and the cute little rims and the bows, I want a house full of and I want them of a rainbow..."

Seriously, these hats are adorable. They are also made from some recycled goodies, which makes them perfect. These hats are also for some strange reason are very cheap... but that only makes it easier to have a house full of them doesn't it?

And the last but not least, this seller has 100% positive feedback, although she hasn't sold that many yet since she started selling them on etsy recently. She does have easy to understand policies as well. Oh, and if you didn't find a hat that would match your outfit, you can always ask for one to be designed specially for you.

Go Top Hats!!!

Greeting cards by Ryan and Breia Mallett from Brush And Mallett

Greeting cards and wedding invitations are always in demand, add a little bit of humor and artistic talent to it and it's a gem. I often see greeting cards on etsy, but there is one problem I keep on having with them, artwork. As an artist myself, I can't in all consciousness  give someone a card where an illustration looks a step above stick figure. The card itself might be really sweet or very funny, but the artwork itself is far from good. When I ran into Brush And Mallett shop, the artwork and the humor, both, captured my attention. The art was great, especially on those sweet, romantic wedding invitations. So, yes... I got exited and decided that you might like them as well...
Have I mentioned they are also eco-friendly? yep... that's right, my eco-mania is showing again. Can you blame me? These cards are not printed through some giant printer ether, they went through loving hands of their designers instead. Each card was cut, scored, fold, and corners clipped by hand. I remember in the good old days when I worked in Staples and our folding machine would break... oh the time it took to do it all by hand... And it's much more expensive to do as well since it's so time consuming. These cards haven't caught high price virus though, they are very cheap, only $3.50 each. For an eco-friendly, handmade card, and this price, it's a crime.

The minds behind these cards aren't only talented and have a funny bone, but they are also very nice and willing to work wit each and every buyer. Store policies are very easy to understand, and if you have any questions, you can always ask. Oh, and the shop also has 100% customer satisfaction.

Well, I'll go back to my own artwork before I procrastinate too much (yes, this is exactly what I am doing now) and you guys should really check out that giveaway I have going on...

Edith and Lulu, the Button Jewels

Jewelry made from buttons is something I actually have never seen before. It's one of those things where you hit yourself in the head asking why you never though of it. Buttons are so versatile, there are so many looks and shapes of them. You can realistically make jewelry for absolutely anyone. Edith and Lulu has tons of beautiful necklaces and earrings for every woman out there. This is exactly why I love etsy so much, you can find things you will not find anywhere else. Just looking through items from different sellers gives me so much inspiration. All this stunning jewelry for insanely low prices, all there, on etsy. Oh how I love it. And yes, prices in this shop are very low, anyone can afford it, even in our economy.

Now the sad news, this shop is actually not going to be around much longer, the jeweler is going back to school and science classes can take way too much time. Believe I know, been there, done that. Now on the brighter side, because the shop is closing, everything is 40% off. If you like the idea of button jewelry, and who doesn't and would like to get some for yourself or loved once, this is the time and the place. Get it before it's too late.

This shop was up and running since 2008 and has great reputation. There is absolutely no way you will be disappointed if you buy from there. Policies are perfectly clear and easy.

Now a question I asked myself while typing the post: "why when posting jewelry I seem to always pick necklaces?" Is it because I don't wear earrings or am I just discriminating?

Karen Cooper and Handmade Bags

Have I ever mentioned I love handmade bags? I'm sure I did, but just in case... Handmade bags are the best. There are just so many great bags you can find when shopping handmade, the sky is the limit. I believe I also mentioned that I love everything recycled. Koop Designs combines both of these together. Karen Cooper uses a lot of items that have seen better days and turns them into something absolutely beautiful. How do you like a bag made from cowboy boots? It looks beautiful and there is no way you'll find half the town having the same exact bag. I feel a little bad for the rest of the items in this shop because as beautiful as they are, purses seem to be taking all the spot light. Well, at least that's what happened when I wondered in. Do check out the other items though, dresses made from pillow cases would be a good outfit for a hot summer day for example.

I don't know about you, but I keep on buying boots that at first seem like a good pair that fits well, but after I wear them for the first time they don't look as good to me anymore. I ended up having a few pairs that I know I will never wear again, being tortured once by each pair is more then enough. If you have the same problem or simply have a pair of boots that have seen better days, you can send them to Karen and get a beautiful bag out of it. Or you can just go to a second hand store and find boots you love but would never wear and send those. Or you can buy two pair of boots and have one turned into a bag so that you'd have a pair of boots that match your bag perfectly. Or you can get an already made bag from Karen and, she does have beautiful bags ready to be shipped after all.

I have one little problem with this shop, I must admit. Here we go... the prices are too low. I have seen mass produced bags with a couple more zeroes at the end of the price tag, I'm sure you did too. These guys are handmade, each of them was designed individually and you will not see the same bag anywhere else. It's worth so much more in my opinion. I would love to see handmade items of such good quality and design selling for at least as much as the Gucci that produces millions of bags with the same exact design. If you ask me, one of a kind or very limited edition bags that are also handmade are a lot more valuable. So, for all you ladies out there, and gentlemen who would like to make a lady happy, if you would like a bag that's worth thousands for a fraction of a price, this is the shop for you.

This shop is also a very safe place to shop. You will get a good customer service and since the policies are clear cut, you will not have a problem figuring out how to pay, when to expect it or how to return if it's not what you for some reason aren't happy with what you got.

The Homespun Loft for You and Your Fluffy Friend

Our best friends deserve to get their handmade goodies just as much as we do. In many cases they appreciate it more then humans. In The Homespun Loft you can find great items sewn specially for your beloved life companions. Something very small can make such a huge difference in an animal's life. I have two wonderful cat friends, Cuteness and Monkey.  Monkey has a very close bound with his sweater. We found him a few month ago, beaten, starved, ridden with every parasite you can imagine. He was so weak he couldn't regulate his body temperature. I made him a sweater so that he would be able to stay warm in the cold winter days. He is healthy now, but his sweater is his favorite thing in the house. If I want him to stop doing something, all I have to do is to put a sweater somewhere he can't get it and let him know I did it, he stops immediately to gets his sweater back. To us it might seem that a pet bed, a placemat, a sweater is no big deal, but for them it can mean a whole world. It can mean a safe place, love, warmth, life itself.

While looking through the shop I found crate mats that can be places in a carrier, I loved them so much. I have a problem with Cuteness, he is terrified of carriers, he hates them with passion. Which is understandable, he too was rescued from very abusive people and although now he is a 40lb giant with razor sharp claws, when he is in a cage he feels powerless and all the fears come back. Having something he loves in a cage always helps, it's the smell for him, it must smell familiar. After looking at these pet beds for a little longer a thought occurred to me, can they be stuffed full of catnip? I bet that would make Cuteness love that carrier. You can get custom orders in this shop, so I bet this can be arrange. These pet beds are double sided, which means... catnip between the layers.

If you have super-awesome fluffy friends, you might know the horror that happens next to their bowls. Not a problem, in The Homespun Loft you can buy placemats. In my house I'd need a placecarpet because my guys end up dragging their food all over the room, playing with it and hiding it from one another, but they are also crazy. Whatever my cat friends do with their food, they never eat it where they are supposed to. Hopefully yours aren't and you can keep everything clean with a sweet handmade placemat. A placemat would however help even in my house. The two of them love chasing one another, and if they knock down their water, they don't even stop to say "sorry" (they do stop to say sorry if they knock me down though). Water would end up all over the place and since I do put their water in my bedroom (otherwise they have to go into the kitchen where they start opening cabinets and slamming then shut so that I'd wake up and hug them), wet carpet is something I often have to deal with.

Well, I can talk about my cats and items for pets whole day, it's close to heart after all, but it's time to look at why you should buy from this seller and not another one. 100% customer satisfaction, great policies, very affordable, great quality, all patterns are original, so you will not find it anywhere else. As I already mentioned before, you can ask for a specialized item, just send a message to the seller and explain what you would like for yourself or your friend and your wish will come true. You can find out much, much more about this wonderful quilter by reading her blog, and following her on twitter and facebook.

Keep your fluffy friends happy, and if you don't have them, shelters are full of animals that need a forever or at least a temporary home.

Doodle Boop Designs by Lauren Dabbs

Doodle Boop Designs is yet another wonderful shop you can find on etsy. It's been open for only a couple on month and it already looks great. I personally love this stone clippie here, it looks punk and very modern. You can find some crocheted hair accessories and jewelry in this shop as well as ribbon clips. One thing I wanted to mention is that this seller is doing really well in establishing her brand. She created tags with the name of the company on it, store looks professional and not messy. For a shop that just opened 2.5 month ago it's very impressive. I can't wait to see the direction it will go in the future.

Lauren already made a few sales and has a 100% positive feedback. I love the clearly defined policies as well. All in all, it's not only an example of a good craftsmanship, it is also a good example of a shop headed for success.

Sisterly Creationz, Elegant Jewelry by Tiffany Coble

Elegant, beautiful, and with taste, what can be better? The only thing that can be better is all that plus handmade. This is exactly what you will get from this jeweler. I really love her taste, it shows in her jewelry designs. Combination of shapes and colors of the crystals is simply beautiful, on the necklace here for example it flows well, purple complements pink really well. This necklace has different cut beads, small smooth beads highlight the larger once. All in all a very good design with an elegant, soft look. As soon as I saw this shop, this beautiful style that can be seen over and over in every piece she makes, attracted my attention. Now, here is another thing I noticed. Very often when looking at handmade jewelry I find that wire doesn't look neat. It would look irregular and unprofessional. Tiffany has everything under control in that department. As someone who used to make dolls out of copper wire when I was little, I can tell you, shaping wire can be a pain. It's a skill that can be learned however, just takes a more time, the end result is worth it. The bottom line is, you can have beautiful, elegant jewelry made by a jeweler that cares about producing good quality product AND it's very, very affordable.


Now, I must be hones, there is one thing I don't like about this shop, she hasn't made a lot of sales. I know, the shop opened this year and didn't have much time to grow, but the jewelry there is too beautiful not to buy. What are people doing? GO GO GO SHOP THERE!!! With jewelry like that, there should be at the very least 10 sales a day... that is if Tiffany can keep up with it. The feed back is still 100% though, so as of now every person who bought from this shop, loved what they got, not that I'm surprised by it, it's freaking gorges.

Pink Diamond Design Jewelry

Pink Diamond Design is another fabulous jewelry shop on etsy. Designs from this shop have very unique look, especially the one you see here. Jeweler uses a combination of materials in creating her designs. Use of antique jewelry and chains is responsible for a lot of pieces in this shop for example. For a reuse/recycle freak like myself it makes it that much better.

I saw a couple of items in this shop that I believe would be of great interest to the brides to be, bobby pins. I found two sets, one would go well with white while the other with blue. I'm sure if you'll contact this artist she will be able to make them in more colors though.

Jewelry is not the only thing you will find at Pink Diamond Design, you can find good customer service there as well. 100% customer satisfaction, good shop policies and communication are all there.

For those of you who would like to find out more about this jeweler, feel free to visit Pink Diamond Girl blog.

Handmade Jewelry by Sadie Designs

Here go... shiny things.... I found another incredible jewelry shop on etsy. This jeweler is doing something different from what most jewelers do. Normally you will find crystals cut into perfect shapes all looking identical. In this shop mother nature get's a say in how each piece is going to look like. The way crystals are cut and used allows for unique patterns and shapes that only nature can provide.
There is an extra advantage in having crystals in their natural form used in jewelry: crystal therapy. Shape of the crystal does play a roll in how crystal will effect the body after all.

Now very briefly (because I'm typing this at 4:30 am and if I stay up any longer this post will stop making any sense as my brain will slowly dissolve) about customer service: It's looking great. 100 % customer satisfaction, very friendly seller and clear cut store policies. This jeweler also has sales and who doesn't love sales. Even without sales though this jewelry is very affordable. So, check it out and fall in love with Sadie Designs

You can also check out her blog, gives you a better feel for who this artist is.

Arts N Drafts Festival

Alright, I'm finally done putting the writing of this post aside. I spent a few days helping set everything up for the festival and drawing there and had to catch up on line, now I can finally tell all about this spring Arts n Drafts. I was happy to see that almost all of the artwork displayed was new, a few paintings were displayed last fall, but there weren't many of them. The way walls were set up this time worked really well, first of all they were more stable second of all they were placed slightly different in the building. It looked almost the same, but tables were a little further from the walls allowing you to see everything better. The downside of this season's fest was the weather. Usually they have tons of artists set up outside painting, but it was too cold this year. I think I was the only one drawing there, but I was inside and they didn't have much space to fit in more artists indoors. Music was great. My favorite band (Matty B. and Dirty Pickles) were there playing on Friday woo-hoo. I got to meet a lot of interesting people there, from artists to musicians to psychic. Yes, they even had a psychic there. A great thing about Arts n Drafts is that people come over from many states to hang out there. People came for different reasons, some to drink good beer, some to hear good music, some to see art, some for all to the above, but at the end of the day many bought artwork from there. One thing I learned from displaying there is that having many small and cheap paintings is going to bring the most sales. People who came just to hang out might easily drop $20 for a painting they like.

Well, I'll be waiting for the next season (this fall), meanwhile I'll be getting back to posting everything on line.

Stay tuned for the next post about some great hand made jewelry